He's amused Cam Newton. He's been insulted by Charles Barkley. When some idiot in the press asked him, if you know what you know now, what you scheduled this game.
He's interviewed Matthew McConaughey. And he's taken on Big Blue Nation. He's just completely taken the wind out of my safety. It's time for The Drive with Josh Graham. You are on a Tuesday Drive.
WSJS News Talk Sports for the Triad. Wherever since I was in high school, I've made a habit of getting to football games early. I'm talking two and a half, three hours before kick. And part of the reason that is, I have this phobia of being late, probably because my dad was never on time. And also there are a few things on the planet I hate more than being in traffic or waiting in line.
I literally schedule my day out to avoid traffic and to avoid having to wait in line for lunch or at a restaurant or something like that. But when it's a big football game, there's also a thrill of being in the stadium when it's quiet before everybody gets there and watching the darn thing fill up and get loud. Even though neither the Panthers nor the Steelers have a winning record, Sunday's game in Charlotte feels like one of those games.
It feels big. And from the Panthers perspective, the Steelers are a meaningful opponent for several reasons. For one, speaking of crowds, Pittsburgh is a litmus test for how invested Panther fans currently are on this team. Other than the Dallas Cowboy fans, there probably isn't a bigger national fan base in the league than Pittsburgh Steeler fans.
Would you say that's accurate? You got Dallas Cowboy fans, the next rungs probably Steeler fans? I'd say Steelers. And they're not as good anymore. So I would say the Packers are in that conversation.
Yeah, they travel very well, too. And the Niners, now that they're good, they travel, too. Carolina Panther fans saw that in Matt Ruhl's final game. Carolina's won three straight at home. They've won two of their last three games.
Those three home wins have all been by double digits. So now fans are talking about NFC South championship possibilities, they're letting their imagination run wild, they're fresh off this win against Seattle, which is their best win in years, plural. The crowd on Sunday is going to be a part of the story. It's either going to be, wow, Steeler fans still infiltrated the place where it doesn't really feel like a Panther home game, or Panther fans far outnumber Steeler fans. And you see, and David Tepper sees just how much change Steve Wilks has already embarked in the same season Matt Ruhl was fired in getting this team back to being really competitive and a team that fans can get behind. This was Steve Wilks yesterday imploring fans to be in the stands. I truly believe that we have the greatest fans in NFL football. I've been around here, I've been in that stadium when you couldn't even hear yourself talk because it was so loud.
Success we had here in the past. So I am asking for our fans to show up in mass this week so we can have that same atmosphere when we play the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was asked for what examples were in his mind of, it's so loud, I can't even think. He brought up the 2015 NFC Championship against Arizona and he brought up either 2013 or 2014, the rain game against the Saints where Luke Kuechly had a pick and Dominic Hickson had a touchdown at the very end to win it. Here's another reason why this game is meaningful. It's the first time David Tepper has faced Pittsburgh, the team that he grew up rooting for, the team he was once a minority stake owner of. That's a huge deal for him. This is his fourth season owning the team.
It has not happened yet. Winning this game could lock down the head coaching job moving forward for Steve Wilks. You won't get an announcement until the season ends because believe it or not, even though Wilks would be a minority candidate, there are still Rooney rules, Rooney rule criteria that you have to follow.
You have to interview multiple minority candidates and go throughout the process in kind. So even if he does lock it up and wilt in Tepper's mind, you're not going to get that announcement until after the season ends. But there's also some symmetry here too, some symmetry possibilities. The last time the Carolina Panthers were relevant, and I mean relevant nationally, this team could be a playoff team, this team is pretty good, was the last time they played the Pittsburgh Steelers. 2018 Carolina was 6-2 going into a Thursday night game in which TJ Watt blew into Cam Newton's shoulder, which deteriorated from that point on the rest of the year leading to a 7-8 game losing streak.
That was the beginning of the end of the Ron Rivera era. That's the last time Carolina played Pittsburgh. How fitting would it be if Carolina got a win this next Sunday that put them right into the NFC South mix that pretty much clinched that the next era of Panther football would be led by Steve Wilks.
That would feel symmetrical. So I can't wait to get there three hours before on Sunday and see that stadium fill up regardless of what colors the fans are going to be wearing that fill up that stadium. It is a meaningful opponent for Carolina.
It has the feel in December of a massive football game here in the state of North Carolina. On Twitter, at WSJS radio if you want in. Will Dalton is the executive producer of this show.
B. Dot, 6-mana Carolina basketball going to be in the studio a little bit later on. We've also got skips or plays with our guy Hayes Permar.
However, and wherever you're listening, we certainly appreciate that. Getting to the North Carolina Tar Heels. After snapping a four game losing streak over the weekend, Carolina's back at it tonight with the Citadel visiting the Smith Center.
And even though the heels have made a bad habit out of playing down to their competition in spots like this, it feels like we're going to assume they take care of the game without many issues. That's not an interesting angle to tonight, or at least not to me. But here's what does intrigue me. Actually, better yet, here's who intrigues me. Freshman Jalen Washington. He's the guy to keep an eye on because later in the year, he might be the key to Carolina becoming a real national title contender. After his debut on Saturday, you would think that he gets more minutes tonight.
Let me paint the picture. Game's over. Two minutes left to go. Jalen comes into the game.
At this point, I'm walking down to the floor, getting set to go to the Carolina locker room and to the media room for all the stuff that we do after games. And I happen to be right at eye level walking down of Jalen Washington when he catches the ball in the right block. And everybody in the stands is yelling at him to shoot it, including his teammates. So I guess everybody in the building was yelling at him to do it. He turned, he hit the shot.
Everybody went nuts. That's just two minutes of what we saw from Jalen Washington. Carolina should win in a route. So we'll see if Hubert plays them in the first half, sees if he plays them in the second half. We'll see how many minutes Jalen gets tonight. Carolina needs another big who can be impactful on the boards.
It can't just be Armando Baycott. And Jalen, he looks the part. Six foot ten, he can run. He used to be a five star recruit, but prior to his senior season in high school, he had a season ending knee injury that made him a four star player. He looks like the kind of guy Carolina needs right now because Pete Nance isn't impacting the rim at all. He could do a lot of other things, but he's not really a guy you rely on in rebounding. You don't want RJ Davis having to get double doubles for you in important games. He had his third career double double against Georgia Tag.
Plus there's a shooting element to this. His shooting has been rumored to be sneaky good going back to his high school days. Just listen to Armando after the game when asked, when I asked him about what we saw from Jalen or more specifically what he's seen since he's returned from injury. He's a great player. And as you can see, I mean, he made a turnaround face up.
I meant to turn around J in the mid post. I mean, that's great. And it just shows like he can shoot the ball and score and being a big man to be able to score the way he does. It's going to be great for us and beneficial. I mean, he does a great job. He can really shoot the ball and also in the post to like his turnaround jump shot. I mean, it kind of reminds me of Garrison Brooks, just the way he can get it off and make it.
So it's great. And I mean, he got so much more length and garrison too. It's gonna be hard to stop Armando. That's about to say, I saw your face and you looked so conflicted.
It was so tricky. Do I play the clip or do I play the Armando Baycott drop Armando calls him a secret weapon and maybe he is, which means tonight, if you want an intriguing storyline to follow, big number 13, Jalen Washington checks all the boxes. On his way to Chapel Hill.
Yeah, man. The sixth man of Carolina basketball popping in for the next half hour or so. The Tar Heels facing the Citadel tonight at 7 p.m. Don't even know their mascot. W.D., do you know who the Citadel's mascot is? The Bulldogs, isn't it? There it is. Look at that. They are the Bulldogs. My God, W.D.
Grammar school in a little less than 15 minutes from now. There was a lot to like from North Carolina's get right game against Georgia Tech on Saturday. Rebounding numbers plus 21 over Georgia Tech. Armando Baycott doing his thing. 15 assists on 27 baskets.
Jalen Washington making his debut. What did you like the most from what you saw from Carolina the last time out? I just liked them being back at home.
It had been three weeks, six thousand miles, 0 and 4 record since we had seen them last. So being able to see the guys come home and just being able to love on them a little bit, man, and just support them and just, you know, just cheer for them. And they're not in a raucous arena with everybody chanting all types of nasty things. You should have seen V-Tech. I was in the castle.
Oh, my gosh. The night before that game, we were together at the ACC Championship and I told you a lot of people in the ACC don't view Virginia Tech or Castle Coliseum as being a ruckus place or tough to play in. You got to see it first up, especially when they're playing and they're clicking on all cylinders like they were against us. But that student section, like they are super T and they can be a little disrespectful. I mean, they were out there with the Caleb sucks. Caleb sucks chants like that's every fan base.
I get it. But it's, you know, they were upset with Caleb because I remind us last year. Need I remind you how Carolina fans reacted when Duke came into the building last year? Now, you don't need to remind me, but it wasn't the entire student section. So it's a little bit different. And the idea that this was their entire student section all by the baseline.
But nevertheless, I just enjoyed the environment. But as for the boys, it was great for them to just come home, man, and just again, the last three minutes of the first half was the loudest it's been in the Smith Center all season like it was deafening loud. And I think that's where Coach H.D. says that, you know, that was the first time all season he actually saw them playing Carolina basketball, passing the ball, taking the better shots and that type deal. So I'm expecting them to build on that tonight against the Citadel Bulldogs. And let's get two more wins at the crib.
VDOT in studio with us. Undefeated in the Dean Dome. You know that. And last year, only one loss, right?
Two. Lost a pit. Oh, I forgot about the pick game.
Yeah. Lost the Duke. The dreaded pick game. Which was trash. And then lost the pit with Jason Caple running off the courts.
And they're too soft, Dot. We knew they didn't want to fight. We told them we'd punch them in the mouth.
They weren't going to hit back. That's what Jason Caple was saying to me as they're leaving, leaving the court. How have your expectations changed, if at all, about this Carolina team based on the first month? I've definitely cooled off. I came in hot. We all did.
I came in hot. Like, I just saw such greatness for this team, man. Like, and I still think that they do have the pieces to get to where I thought they would be at the beginning of the season. But I honestly thought that their energy, their attitude would be more of a display like the women's team, like the women's team has come in so confident.
The women's team, yes, they had some pieces added with Paulina Paris and stuff like that. They lost some big pieces with Carlie Littlefield. But they still know their hub. They still know their foundation. And they came out super dominant this season. What are they, seventh right now?
Taking on all newcomers. Like, I just really thought that the guys would have come with the same energy as the women's team. But again, I still think they have the talent to get us to Houston for the Final War. But I'm a lot less confident when I just jump out there saying those things. So your opinion now is similar to where my opinion's been the entire way. Was that just a setup for you to just tell me how you're right again? You know, but I'm just saying, no, but we both might be wrong. We both might be wrong about North Carolina being able to do that. I was called a hater for having the opinion that you now have. So it's not me being right.
It's you saying that I'm not a hater anymore. I still don't have Virginia winning our conference and with such as runaway as you claimed Virginia would do. Could be Virginia Tech. It could be Virginia Tech that wins the conference. I think Virginia Tech's the second best team in the league. I think they're better than Duke right now. Well, they have a high ceiling, Duke. But again, Virginia Tech is a very confident team. They got a very, you know, they got some good pieces at the guard.
That big guy is a freaking beast in there. I don't even know his name. No.
Twenty five. Are you talking about mutts? He's an animal. He I'm to my he got to play one time and start leading chance with the freaking student section. I've never seen a coach HD that mad ever.
Like he went up and down the bench screaming at every player that wasn't fortunate enough to be on the court and just was telling them without curse words. Yeah. You see this? That's soft.
You're going to let him cheer to the freaking student section. That is the GBS. That's the GBS. That's the GBS. I was teed up.
Has doing the in arena hosting be dots on his way to Chapel Hill for the game tonight. Has that become has that felt normal to you yet? Or are you still in a place where you're figuring things out or it still kind of hasn't hit you what you do game in and game out?
The professional side of it is sort of like riding a bike. Like, I know that at timeouts I'm going to do this and that type of vibe. But the fandom of it all, the the fanfare that I have for the university and for the team, like I have not gotten over yet. And it's still just ways that I want to impact the game or I'm just and and ways that I still want to be respectful of all the parties that are part of the game day entertainment. For example, things that go on behind the scenes that the average viewer or attendee wouldn't even know. But, you know, I try to separate myself from the band's timeouts and not talk over the band while they're playing.
You know what I mean? Like I've gotten feedback from alumni and fans and even from the band director, Futes himself, it was like because I would just want to chant along with the band so that the crowd could chant. But they want it to be more of the band take lead of that. So I fall back. But this last game while the band is doing Sweet Caroline, freaking Erin Madsen is popped up on the screen.
Erin Madsen, she's the freaking go four time field hockey champion at Carolina. So I have to acknowledge that. And I ran up immediately the next time out and told, you know, the band director, Dr. Futes, like, I apologize. I didn't mean to speak over you. And he was just receptive of that was like, I appreciate you for even understanding and wanting to respect what we're doing.
So it's still trying to find those those spaces where I can still put my personality in that game day environment, but still be respectful of the other components. Mike Leach passed away today. Sixty one years old. That's young Josh. Sixty one is young man in the grand scheme of things. For real, for real.
Like I know if you're 18, 61 is like super old. He had health problems this year dealing with pneumonia, according to ESPN. But sad day for college football. But one of the more entertaining people in the history of sports, of the show, like the things that he will say, give us a clip. Here he is talking about candy. And this isn't a post game press conference, not even a press conference. He's on the field after his team won. He's being interviewed by a sideline reporter and he's just the king of getting sidetracked and talking about candy.
You can hear the band like the scores on the screen. And this is Mike Leach. Gummy bears for sure. The Haribo. It's got to be the Haribo ones. And then the other thing I like is when they used to have the sprees in a box. Outstanding.
You have to go to the dollar store to find it. But I do. There's still candy innovation, although a while back I found that Europe had better candy than we did overall because they have got me everything. You know, they have those nerds clusters, which is new. Yeah. Which is good. The nerds clusters is good.
And then if you go chocolate, probably almond joy. All right. Thanks, coach.
I am glad relations on the wind. That's him. Yo, I got some nerd clusters blue pack in the car right now. Do you really? Yeah.
He was a, he was a pioneer of the nerd clusters and the sprees and a box. They're legit. Oh, S P R E E S. Right. Yeah.
They're like different colors. I haven't seen any in a long time. They, the fact that he still goes to the dollar store to get candy, man, he's my kind of guy. That's where I go and get my sugar babies from. I went to the dollar store not too long ago to get butter finger ice cream.
It used to be, I used to be, I go to the movies all the time and it would always be a stop. Like it's just understood in our family that we'd stop by the dollar tree to get candy to sneak it to the movies. I'd always get lemon heads or the assorted sours if they have them. I like the assorted sours anymore. All the candies that come into little lemon head boxes. Love them. Like the Johnny apple seeds, the cherry clans, you remember cherry clans. Those are good.
Yeah. B dots here in studio. Six man of Tar Heel basketball we'll play grammar school next.
It's about that time for B dot to take me to grammar school. We still need to figure out what movie to make WD watch tomorrow night. The goonies.
Hey, you guys. I would do that, but I haven't seen the goonies. Oh, I haven't seen it. Rainman. Rainman's interesting. Tom cruise and Dustin Hoffman.
Hoffman has autism and Tom cruise takes him to Vegas to run numbers and win money. Yes. Uh, you've seen the hangover.
The first one. Yeah. Right. So basically the back half of that movie, how they win money.
True laws is based on that. I was thinking heat. Heat is amazing. He has the best gunshots. The shootout scene in the history of films. He hasn't seen Die Hard and Sarah Bradford thinks we need to do Christmas movies even though Die Hard isn't a Christmas movie. Yes. He could be a part of that conversation because this is a heated movie. This is a heated debate that I've watched from afar.
I don't know anything about it. I mean, just because it happens during Christmas doesn't make it a Christmas movie. In my opinion, Christmas movies have a have a theme like there's no sex, there's no cursing.
There's a small town problem. Is there sex in Die Hard? Maybe in the future. Die Hard. Is this like how Spider Man's a Thanksgiving movie? Has anyone said that? Yes. No way. I have never heard that. Not even close.
Look it up. Are we talking like Tobey Maguire? Spider Man's not even close. It's Thanksgiving. Remember the Macy's Day Parade.
Green Goblin comes in. Thanksgiving movie. Just because it happens during this festive time doesn't make it. There's a Christmas movie played throughout the actual movie. It's in the score of the movie Christmas songs and the director said that was intentional.
Is Gremlins a freaking Christmas movie? You could argue. It's not though. It's not.
You don't even see Santa. Getting back to the point. Heat and Die Hard. Die Hard. I say Die Hard. OK. Yeah. Yeah. Just because it's a Christmas movie.
We'll decide by the end of the show right now. We need to get into grammar school. Josh Graham has his own way of speaking in high school.
He didn't play sports, but he did wear a helmet. And just when you think it can't get any worse. My English teacher wanted to flunk me in junior high.
Thanks a lot. Next semester I'll be thirty five. Josh is going to attempt to learn B Dot's vernacular. I'm from the old school. I got a street knowledge. You know what I mean?
You know what I'm saying? It's time for B Dot's Grammar School. And Grammar School is being brought to you by Heritage Hardwood Floors. That has a ring to it. You like that?
I do actually. Heritage Hardwood. Cut the music. Heritage Hardwood Floors. Heritage Hardwood Floors. You got to do your hands and your fingers.
Heritage Hardwood Floors. I love it. It does have the right amount of syllables.
It does. I might have to make that up. Yeah. Superior Craftsmanship and the best ways to describe their work, man. Homes, businesses, event centers, churches, gym floors. I brag all the time over there.
Winston-Salem State University. Yes. Heritage Hardwood Floors. Did that. You don't have to say anything else.
Heritage Hardwood Floors. And Dot told me maybe because he didn't prepare these too far in advance. He says he's going easy on me today. So no lifelines for me except W.D. who was not in on these. Correct. So. Right.
Let's see if I can do this without Kyle, the Amazon driver or anybody else on the phone. This is season two of Grammar School. So Josh kicks it off with a word of the caustic persuasion. You know what I had for lunch yesterday? A hoagie. I had a club sandwich.
Same thing. What are the normal ingredients to a club sandwich? Lettuce, tomatoes and bacon. I need one more ingredient. Cheese, mayonnaise.
Yeah. OK, well, if you would have said ham, turkey or mayonnaise in addition to the bacon, bacon's key, lettuce, tomato key. OK, but you need to have one more meat and you need to have mayonnaise. T me up. Beep, beep, beep.
Club sandwich. He's been pretty good at that. I have been.
And thank you to Heritage Hardwood Floors. All right. Up first, Josh Graham. Use these two words three different ways. Use these two words three different ways. The two words are you good. Three different ways.
Three different ways. You good. What does that mean?
Like somebody might have cut you in line or infringed on you and you say you good. OK, that's good. That's one.
You good. What does that mean? Is that to say, man, you exceeded. Wow. Wow. You got the sauce. Wow.
Sort of like right now in grammar school. Yeah, you're good. The last question yet.
You good. OK, that's two. I'll give you that one. It's a bit of a stretch, but I'll give you that one. One more. Use you good in a sentence. One more time. You good. What does that mean? It's like when you talk to your wife, she's mad at you passive aggressively.
It's weird. You good. Good job. Give him a give him a bell for that.
Hey, good job, Josh Graham. Six other ways you could use you good to which one were you hoping that I would do? Like if I needed to use to borrow some money, like I left my wallet at the crib and we're out to eat. And I said, Josh, I left my wallet.
What would you say? You good? Yeah. I like that.
Next. What's a dub? Do you be and we're not talking about money. Or a win or the Warriors. No, or the Warriors or win. Yeah, not a win. Not a win.
Oh, not about the dumb. Yeah. Yeah. You're feeling good. Caleb love in the first half against the Georgia Tech. Yeah.
Right in front of Beaton's face. Yeah. Wow. Yeah.
I might need a lifeline. A dub. What's up?
What are the what's the normal thing that I default to if I don't know drugs or guns? I think it I think it's like a joint like a dub. Is that your phone? Oh, one sec. Wait. Are you going to use your lifeline now? I'm going to save it. Well, you're going to save it. You know it. What was your like a joint? I don't know.
I think it might be like a nickname or to nickname something like to dub something. No, no, no, no, no. Not doing it.
I'm going with. So you're not using it. No, I'm not using that. I didn't ask for that. You didn't ask for that. No.
Yeah, I'm good. You didn't ask for that. That was wrong.
One hundred percent wrong. Yeah. As were you. Oh, yeah. A dub pretty much means to deny or to reject or it's not happening.
Like what's up, man? You trying to go to eat after the game? That's a dub. OK, bet. So our answers there were dubs. Yeah, right. Was your answer. No, that does that even make sense?
Is he right? Not really. No, I made it work. So you have to get this one correct.
But you do still have your lifeline. Yeah, I'm WD. Yeah. All right.
Which is great. It's giving. Pardon. I wish I could. Are they looking at the city?
I wish I could have saw your face. Pardon. Who eats the cookies? Yeah. Who be eating cookies? Who's eating cookies? Who be eating cookies?
Yeah. Who be eating cookies? Now, who's eating?
Elmo was eating. That's right. But I think it must be. Nevertheless, giving. It's giving.
What does that mean? It's giving. Not related to a holiday.
It's definitely not related to a holiday. And I'm not going to hold you. This is a bit difficult.
You will have to use a lifeline and WD unless he's cheated. Let's brainstorm. Did you already look it up? Good. Thank you for not doing that. Let's just talk this through. It's giving. It's giving.
Can I forgo him as a lifeline and ask you instead as a lifeline to use it in a sentence? Ooh. Tactics. I like what you did there. And you know what, Josh? I will allow that. Thank you. Now there are two different ways you can use.
It's giving. I'm going to use them in both different ways. Okay. Okay. All right. Josh, you're cool. But this look it's giving stalker vibes. Okay. That's one way.
And did you see Michelle Obama's outfit last night? It's giving. Wow.
Okay. It's giving. WD, your mic's off. I'm going to say it's giving. It's it's loud in a sense. So if it's giving means like it's doing a lot and it's a descriptor in the first sentence of I'm giving stalker vibes because I'm wearing a hoodie, I guess. And the other with Michelle Obama, it's giving because I assume it looks really good. It's loud in a sense. It's noticeable. It's giving means the person is fine as hell or whatever it's giving looks good. Give that man a bell right there. Congratulations, Josh Graham.
You were all over the place. And because you said looks good at the end, that's what gave it to you. When you say it's given, that means like if Sarah Bradford comes out, she's like, how do I look, Josh? You'd be like, babe, it's giving. That means, babe, you look amazing. Sarah Bradford always looks giving. No, that's not how you use it. She doesn't always looks giving. That's not that's not how you use it at all.
That's almost exactly the opposite of how to use it. Her outfit is given. There we go. There we go. But your outfit is given what? Stalker vibes, apparently. Yeah.
When you use it that way, then it's what they say after is what you think about the noun that they're talking about. You're the now. But you're giving stalker vibes. Who sponsors? Heritage hardwood for the grammar school. You need to get out of here and get down to Chapel Hill. Hey, officers, I'm gonna be speed.
And so if y'all see my love Jetta on the road, man, let me live. Seven o'clock tip for North Carolina and the Citadel, who? Bulldogs. That's B dot six man of Carolina basketball joining us in studio.
It's the drive with Josh Graham WSJS. ESPN just put up some video that I'm looking at right now from Mississippi State's football stadium. Davis Wade Stadium, where they're not playing football games there anymore. The season is ended. And up on the big screen, they have a graphic of Mike Leach paying tribute to him.
But that doesn't take a lot of work. Hey, just people walk by the stadium. Football coach passed away. We're gonna pay homage to him. It looks like it's raining there too.
It doesn't look like the weather's great in Starkville. But somebody also put up a pirate flag on the the flag mass they have there and hung it at half mast in honor of the man that was nicknamed the pirate. That's a great tribute to him. WD has skips or plays with Hayes cooked up Hayes Permar joining us from Sports Channel 8. Hey, something we brought up earlier when talking about Leach is that it seems like the more money that coaches make, the larger these salaries become. And those salaries continued to get inflated. The farther away coaches get from the media and in turn the fans. And also, I think the less chances they take in terms of showing their personality, in terms of us getting to know them and being like Mike Leach. I bet they seem more like politicians today, CEOs. That might be the biggest impact that Belichick or Saban has had on this generation of football coach. But I'd be interested to know why you don't or why you think there aren't as many personalities in college sports today or maybe in sports in general, like Mike Leach, as there used to be. I think it's the same reason you see and not to go deep into this, but Elon Musk has talked about, oh, the people with the most followers, these people that are in the million followers on Twitter range, they aren't actually very active.
And I think the answer is once you get to a certain level, the risk reward factor goes way down. I'm sure Obama, who has many followers, anytime he chimes in on something, whether it's a playlist or attributed to somebody, the whole internet reacts, he could chime in on a lot more issues. But the chances of one thing being taken out of context or misunderstood, it's just not worth it for him at his level. And so for a lot of college football coaches, there's no need, you're not trying to draw press. If you're an SEC football coach, people are going to come find you. You don't really need to drum up ratings. And so the, the reward for being colorful is not that great.
And the risk is high, right? Like if you do say the one wrong thing or it all of a sudden it catches people at the wrong time or the wrong day and have your fan base says, get this guy out and they correct that decision to get you out even though a week later, but it's like, but what he said that bad, I don't know, but we got caught up at the time because you know, coincided with the news event that happened two days before and we moved quickly and we got rid of them. So I think that's why you see most people stay buttoned up leach in the same way that he was an outsider as a football coach, you know, uh, leads to the reason that he was an outsider in his football press conferences, right? He's the same things that, uh, he, I'm sure he had different friends in the football community, but they probably weren't the same circles that the networkers know.
Like there's probably people that, you know, you gotta be friends with to climb the coaching ladder. I'm sure he didn't do it that way. He did things his own way. And there's a little bit of people talking about it being quirky and these just, you know, crazy, whatever he's a smart guy. He knows he's, he has a law degree. He taught classes at Washington state. The guy's really smart.
He's being, he knows he's being zany and outlandish when he's being, and even if he does it with like a deadpan, you know, straight face type thing, he's not stupid. He knows he's being funny because he actually, uh, is one of the guys who, because he wasn't going to get, you know, high profile jobs, does have a little reward at drumming up media attention, right? We have places like Washington state, uh, or Texas tech when the, the, the risk is a little bit worth it to try and drum up some attention as opposed to, you know, the Alabama or whatever the, the, the Oklahoma or whatever the top of the conference teams are. Do you remember anybody in this space in sports that is being remembered for the personality first when they are so impactful from the coaching side of it? Because I thought of Skip Prosser today because I can't recall a situation where an active coach, a major college basketball or major college football passed away while they were the active coach.
It doesn't happen all that often. And when people talk about Skip, they talk about his personality, but the way you're describing it and the way that it feels like to me that Leach is being remembered at large for these press conferences and such, what you're saying is true. He knows exactly what he's doing. It almost feels like we lost the, the reaction feels like the loss of a comedian. Like it feels like, Oh, you know, Gary Shandling, he was awkward on the Larry Sanders show or all these things, but it was so intentional what he was doing and he was being brilliant.
He knows exactly what he was doing. And it feels like the way that Mike Leach is being celebrated today is as if we lost a great entertainer. And I don't mean that in the sports as entertainment and he happened to be a football coach context.
Well, I think it also is just a rarity for the football coach type thing. I mean, it's like when, you know, when we lose Bill Walton, there are many people that will say they hate Bill Walton, but like, at least it's different, right? Like, you know, you're hearing something different whether you like it or not.
It's just different because so much of the same. And so I think yeah, I think Leach, you and I have had some of these philosophical conversations about how much of sports is entertainment, right? And so I think again, I think that's something that he's smart and he understood.
I mean, you know, I go back to you know, when I read books about the old ACC and guys like Bones McKinney bringing out seatbelts to sit on the bench. I mean, it is 100% driven by those guys trying to raise a profile and get asked questions about their antics. And so I think that Leach understood that side of things and try to compare to like what else what else he could have been and I mean politicians obviously a quick go-to because you think of the press conferences or whatever, but like he probably would have been smart about raising his profile or whatever he did and whether or not because he's a college football coach and there's no real impact of his answers, right? Because he's not actually speaking on issues.
There's no reason not to be absurd. Did you wish there were more of it? Did you ever get a chance to have Mike Leach on the show or have a conversation with him? No, I never talked to Leach.
See, that's I was close one time. And this came up, I think Denny O'Brien was tweeting about it. The dream that never happened was him being at ECU the the pirate thing people talked about the pirate thing. I feel like more the first half of this career than than the Washington State Mississippi State time, but a him, you know being a pirate at heart and then being at ECU a place where you know, he could been notorious for being a sword in the side of the bigger dogs and then, you know, if he's got a good team got a chance to run in Conference USA, but and also, you know, get experimental get fun like find a quarterback and some wide receivers from Eastern North Carolina and throw the ball around the field and then have fun doing it. I'm just sad that never happened because then we probably would have talked to him at some point. Yeah, I mean it just started thinking though, I thought about this when I talked to Spurrier not too long ago and like who in sports would you most like to have a conversation with? I've been lucky enough to talk to Bill Walton and a ton of the others that are just interesting personalities interesting people and Leach was always really close to the top of the list just because the people that I know who have spoken to him say that it's not for show.
It's every conversation. He has something interesting comes out of it. Who's that guy for you that if there's one person in sports, you can have a conversation with that you have not that you would that that's the guy tough. I mean it's like I wouldn't want to interview Tiger but like, you know, I'd like to play around with Tiger because I feel like then you might actually get some have some conversations, you know, actually actually probably that I take that back. The last thing I want to do is having them like a golf element, but I think Tiger has very interesting things to say and he's been one of the most a little more laid-back in recent years, but over his career one of the most polished buttoned-up, you know, all you know, everything's a press release as a statement type guys. Whereas I do think he is kind of an interesting guy.
He might be somebody I talked to that. I know he doesn't I know he's not interesting in the way he talks like Leach, but that's one that comes to the top of my head. Okay, WD tells me that we might have come close to the theme of today's skips or plays with Hayes. I don't know how you would do a Mike Leach theme skips or plays with Hayes, but maybe we'll find out let's let's play the game.
Hayes Permar is somewhat of a Renaissance man an expert in the finer things, but he hangs his hat on music loves his God and he's the friend of Satan. He was like oh six getting busy with the sticks been watching big Mike and little trinket trip. I just need his eye on and someone he can dunk on today Hayes will decide if this music is smash or trash blows or blows. It's time for skips or plays with Hayes.
Okay, WD. Did we guess correctly? Is this going to be a Mike Leach theme skips or plays with Hayes? This is absolutely going to be a Mike Leach theme skips or plays. Okay, we're gonna make it happen. We'll see how you go about this.
I hope it's not like fight songs of Washington State, Texas Tech and I got creative about it. Okay. What's the first one here then? So because he is nicknamed the pirate.
Yes. This is I was inspired to go boat drinks by Jimmy Buffett. Be careful Permar your former boss might be listening. Yeah, he knows how I feel about Jimmy Buffett. Yeah, I mean you could go with any number of Jimmy Buffett song for pirate right like they're all Jimmy Buffett song. So I'm skipping this. There's only like three Buffett songs.
I like and this in one of them get out of here skip it. Hey, that is on you. You chose to go deep cut Buffett. I don't know that's deep cut.
I just saw boat and thought pirate. Well, that's that's on you. If you did it's 542 if you did it's five o'clock somewhere like there are opportunities that you missed there with going Bob. I wasn't doing that.
All right, what's next? All right, because he was so prolific with the air raid offense. Ah, I decided to get some inspiration from Top Gun and I'm gonna go mighty wings cheap trick. That's the Top Gun.
You gotta be trolling me. Air raids a Top Gun like I guess I get it but that seems like a little bit of a stretch to go into the air. I guess but you know what? This wasn't the Top Gun song that I was expecting but it is the Top Gun I'm feeling right now. So I'm giving this a skip a skip up a little bit a skip great song very sad to play take my breath away danger zone like I almost went danger zone, but I needed something air themed.
So mighty wing you're doing songs from Top Gun. I needed to go deeper. Okay. I just trying to get inside wds head.
All right, good luck. See if you can close this thing out strong Mike Leach themes gifts or plays with Hayes perm are okay. So because so Cal the cowbells are a thing at Mississippi State. Yeah, absolutely cowbells. Okay, so I decided to pull the SNL skit more cowbells will Farrell and oh, this is what we need say no more like are we doing don't fear the Reaper that what this is who sings don't fear the Reaper. I have no idea. I feel like I should know this just play the song Blue Oyster Cult name this band either Blue Oyster Cult. Yes.
Thank you. Everybody knows this song is at this point like in culture like if I burn I knew this shot for the skit. Like oh, we're playing the actual skit. I was like, wait a minute. This isn't a song. This is a skit. Whoa, I thought we got Christopher Walken now. I'll be honest fellas.
It was sounding great, but I could have used a little more cowbells. Hold one second. Hold one second. Everybody calm down here is per more grading the SNL sketch or is he grading don't fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult. I'm confused. He's grading the SNL sketch. That's it.
That's an interesting twist. He's bring video into this. I don't even know this is legal. We might have to go to the judges. But can he do this because this is that president if he comes in with future videos are we going with that?
I don't know. I think we're gonna make a one-time exception and say that this is okay, but let's not do videos moving forward. I like it. I like it. He got creative and I'm gonna reward it. It's a play.
Hey, it seems fitting on a day like this that we played don't fear the Reaper to pay tribute to Mike Leach passed away today at 61. Okay per more on the way out B Dot and I B Dot was conflicted. We got WD is gonna watch a movie for his weekly movie segment. He hasn't seen any of the good movies. We're down to Heat or Die Hard this week that he needs to watch which of the two would you recommend most that WD watches this week Heat or Die Hard. There's zero question Die Hard is a vastly superior movie and it's a Christmas movie. So that's a that's an easy no-brainer. There it is and 69% of the votes right now on Twitter say Die Hard as well. I just voted for Heat nice. All right, great die hard the green movie.
He's he's like good but but for what it was it could have been better with the people that had could have been better and it's underwhelmed whereas Die Hard kind of came out of nowhere low expectations wildly exceeded it. Permar we'll talk to you next week. Thanks buddy. See you guys.
Whisper: medium.en / 2022-12-18 09:32:52 / 2022-12-18 09:51:28 / 19